The federal government of the United States as typified by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) consider cannabis an illegal substance with no medicinal value. In 2009 the DEA confiscated and burned 2980 metric tons (nearly 6.6 million pounds, or 7,000,000 cannabis plants) of cannabis plants nearly doubling the 1539 metric tons confiscated and burned in 2008. The FY 2012 DEA Performance Budget Congressional Submission indicates that the DEA eradicated 9,000,000 cannabis plants in FY 2010 and 2011, and projects 9,500,000 plants (over 4000 metric tons, or 8.8 million pounds) to be eradicated in FY 2013. The burning of millions of cannabis plants emits large amounts carbon, dioxin, gasoline vapors, and other pollutants into the environment.
In contrast, the medicinal use of cannabis has been legalized and regulated in the District of Columbia, and in 17 states. The legalization of medicinal cannabis in these municipalities has led to an expansion of a state regulated distribution of cannabis flowers, edible medications, and topical medications available to individuals with proper credentials or recommendations. In an effort to lead the way in providing controlled dosage medications certain technologies have been developed that include the extraction of medicinal cannabis compounds from raw cannabis in large volumes followed by incorporation of controlled dosages of medicinal cannabis compounds into edible or topical medications. For example, it is now possible to manufacture predominantly non-psychoactive medications derived from cannabis. Characteristically different forms of medical cannabis compounds can now be studied in ways not possible before.
The most significant driver for growing demand for legalized medicinal cannabis are the increasing bodies of research showing tangible benefits to individuals suffering from a plurality of ailments when using medicinal cannabis. Furthermore, no toxic or overdose effects from the use of cannabis have been medically documented.
In past years various mechanisms for extracting essential elements from raw cannabis plant material have been researched by professional scientists, until recently the extraction of medicinal compounds from cannabis has been limited to small scale extractions by authorized scientists in the academic realm or has been performed clandestinely by individuals operating outside the law. The Applicant's related patent application Ser. No. 13/066,585, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,343,553, and Ser. No. 13/506,010 relate to extracting medicinal cannabis compounds in large volumes from cannabis plant material. The invention described in this patent application extends the utility of apparatus built consistent with the Applicant's previous extraction apparatuses.
As of 2012 states with laws regulating the medicinal use of cannabis have not implemented or officially sanctioned any strategy designed to manage cannabis waste materials (cannabis leaves, trim, imperfect bud material, insect infested, or moldy plants). Cannabis plants grown by authorized medical marijuana growers produce materials have been dispensed to patients through dispensaries, yet many patients and dispensaries are not interested is cannabis leaves, cannabis trimmings, or imperfect bud material. Furthermore, moldy cannabis plant material or insect infested plant material can cause allergic reactions, fungal infections, or have other negative side effects if consumed by people with compromised immune systems. Without effective strategies for capturing medicinal cannabis compounds contained within such “waste” cannabis plant material poses a risk that these materials may be diverted into gray or black markets or end up in rivers, streams, or in landfills.
The focus of the present invention relates to an improved apparatus, process, and business methods for extracting medicinal elements from cannabis plant material and then keeping cannabinoids within a legal system without emitting vast amounts of pollution into the environment.